Today Hendrik’s parents booked a tour to some of the places around Cairns. All the tours including the ones to Cape Tribulation were booked and this one was the only one available. Hendrik and I were less then thrilled to know we would be going back to Paronella Park and thought it would have been much wiser to just rent a car.

We went with Tropical Horizons Tours and the first stop was Lake Barrine where we had tea and scones, yes I felt like I had aged 50 years in a matter of 2 hours. Then we went on a cruise around the lake which was relatively small. The guide pointed out as many snakes and birds as he could but there just weren’t that many. We didn’t see any cassowaries or a platypus.

Giant curtain fig tree

The next stop was also my favourite which was the Giant Curtain Fig tree. I thought it was pretty spectacular the way the tree grew but it was also impossible to take a descent picture of since we couldn’t back up far enough. Then we were off to the Millaa Millaa waterfall, which was pretty and had lunch by the Mungalli waterfall. There was a 30 minute hike to the waterfall but we didn’t have time to do the hike so that was disappointing. So we didn’t get a good view of that waterfall.

How the tree formed

After lunch we did the Ma Mu Rainforest Canopy Walkway which was nice and our guide was well informed. The last stop was Paronella Park which Hendrik and I skipped and relaxed outside in the café. I wouldn’t recommend this tour to people who have a limited time in Cairns. Go to Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation but as a tour it was well organized and the tour guide was very nice and passionate about nature and Australia.

Ma Mu Rainforest

This concluded the trip with Hendrik’s parents and the next day we all had morning flights, and Hendrik and I went back to Melbourne.

Yesterday we spent relaxing and shopping in Cairns so there was nothing worth mentioning. Today we set off to the Great Barrier Reef. We went with Reef Magic since they had something for everyone. Hendrik and I wanted to go diving, Hendrik’s dad wanted to snorkel, and Hendrik’s mom just wanted to relax. Reef Magic takes people to a pontoon, Marine World, where people can dive, snorkel, relax in lounge chairs, go on a semi-sub, or view the ocean from an underwater viewing gallery. So this was the best option for us.

The ride out to the reef was rough as usual so I took my travel-calm but many people did barf. I just stared out at the horizon the whole time. The ride to the reef is the worst thing about going to the reef from Cairns since it takes about 2 hours and it’s terrible.

Once there we went diving straight away. There is a platform that is underwater under Marine World to which stairs lead and this is for divers to enter the water. I really liked it since it was so smooth and allowed me to get situated with my BC and flippers while being able to stand in the water making the load on my back light. The reef was really nice below Marine World. We were with a group and had a guide and she was able to point out many interesting creatures like a trumpet fish which I had not seen yet while diving and three nemo families. Then we saw Wally, the resident Maori Wrasse which we each took a picture with. They had a really great photographer, much better than on the Kangaroo Explorer and I got a nice shot with Wally. He definitely does wonders for Reef Magic since everyone has to buy the picture because it’s so cool.

Me and Wally

After the dive Hendrik and I went on the semi-sub which was nice because of the live commentary but I would suggest them to wash their windows more often since lots of green stuff grew on it covering the view. We were still able to see sharks, a green turtle, and a unicorn fish. The buffet lunch was good and then we had one more dive. This time we were taken with the semi-sub to another part of the reef and dived there. All the comforts of getting into the water were reversed and it was very uncomfortable wearing the large and heavy oxygen tank on a little dingy.

Snorkling on the reef

This dive went well, and we saw two reef sharks, barracudas, and a feather star which I was able to touch. After the dive it was time to go back to Cairns which was a shame because we had no time to go snorkelling. I wouldn’t have minded spending another hour on Marine World. The ride home was smooth so it was much more pleasant and bearable. I really enjoyed Reef Magic and think they do a wonderful job.